Police, DA investigating deadly shooting in Reading

Police are working to sort out the circumstances surrounding a deadly shooting in Reading.

READING, Pa. -

Police are working to sort out the circumstances surrounding a deadly shooting in Reading.

It all started around 10 p.m. Thursday in the 200 block of South 13th Street, where police said Florencio Roman-Quinones III robbed a 60-year-old man of jewelry and car keys.

The victim, whose name has not been released, subsequently called police to report the robbery, and a warrant was issued for Roman-Quinones' arrest, investigators said.

About four hours later, police said Roman-Quinones and two other men returned to the scene and proceeded to assault the victim for reporting the robbery.

As the suspects punched and kicked the victim, another man saw what was happening and ordered them to stop, police said. When they didn't, investigators said that man shot one of the suspects, identified by police as Christopher Vasquez.

Vasquez, 24, then managed to walk back to the suspects' vehicle, and Roman-Quinones proceeded to drive him to Reading Hospital, police said.

An officer then spotted the suspects' car driving erratically and going the wrong way on South Second Street and gave chase, pursuing them all the way to the hospital, where Vasquez died of his injuries, police said.

Roman-Quinones was immediately arrested and charged with robbery, simple assault, receiving stolen property and harassment. He was committed to the Berks County Jail on $250,000 bail. The third person involved in the assault of the robbery victim has not yet been identified.

Detectives have interviewed the shooter, who is cooperating with the investigation, according to District Attorney John Adams, who noted that it appears the shooter was justified in using deadly force.

Anyone who has information about the case or the third person involved in the attack of the robbery victim is asked to call Crime Alert Berks County at 877-373-9913. A cash reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.

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